A Gift From The Heart
by Daughter of Eve3
Summary: "I'm sorry, Lucy, I know you would like this to be a wonderful Christmas, but it is not possible with father off at war and Peter and Edmund fighting each other. Mother is still trying to make this Christmas like the others, as best she can with so little support. I don't even think she'll have a present to open Christmas day." "Then we can make her something." Pre-LWW


**Hey everyone this is my first Narnia fanfiction and I hope enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it and this is sat on the Christmas before the Pevensie go to Narnia and it's** **inspired by a childhood memory** **.**

 **Also like to thank my brother, and my sister's best friend for editing.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own a book series that published more than 40 year before I was born.**

 **A Gift from the Heart**

* * *

One evening little Lucy Pevensie is lying in her bed staring out the bedroom window. She is waiting to see Father Christmas and his sleigh go across the sky like she does every Christmas Eve.

However, it is not always easy to sit and wait for him especially since her older sister, Susan, constantly tells her he doesn't exist and her brother, Edmund, goes on and on about how babyish she is for believing in Father Christmas. But Lucy doesn't let them discourage her beliefs. She hopes to see him tonight, hoping that at least one thing could make this a wonderful Christmas again.

On the other side of the bed, Susan also lays awake. She sighs in disappointment while staring at the ceiling, wishing she could enjoy the holiday as much as she used to, but she can't find anything to enjoy this Christmas. With their father off fighting in that dreadful war, she and Peter have been trying to help take care of Edmund and Lucy. All was well until Edmund started his first term at boarding school and he's been nothing, but trouble since they came home for Christmas. It seems that he's developed a spiteful attitude and even got into a fight with Peter earlier just before their mother asked them to go to bed so she could weep secretly in the other room.

This Christmas hasn't been very merry for any of them, especially for their mother. She was doing all she could to make this Christmas special for them, like all the ones they had when their father was home. She knew he would want this Christmas to be wonderful for the children, even if he was not there to celebrate with them. Susan knew how hard she was trying and wanted to help her, but wasn't sure what she could do.

As Susan rolls on her side she notices Lucy still staring out the window. She asks her younger sister, "Lucy…Lucy are you still awake?"

Lucy turns to face Susan, "Yes."

"I can't sleep," Susan whispers.

"Me either, I can never sleep on Christmas Eve, I'm too excited," Lucy whispers back smiling, but it quickly fades. "I wish Dad could be here with us."

"Me, too"

"Do you think he gets to celebrate Christmas, like everyone else?"

Susan turns away from Lucy as she grumbles, "I don't think there is any room for Christmas in war, Lucy."

Lucy ponders that for a moment before shyly replying, "But we did send him some Christmas cards, he'll enjoy those."

"If he's still alive" Susan snaps while trying to hold back her tears and regretting she voiced her thoughts. "I'm sorry, Lucy, I know you would like this to be a wonderful Christmas, but it is not possible with father off at war and Peter and Edmund fighting each other. Mother is still trying to make this Christmas like the others, as best she can with so little support. I don't even think she'll have a present to open Christmas day."

"Maybe Father Christmas will give her something."

"Lucy, don't you think you are a little old to believe in Father Christmas?"

Lucy sighs, then quickly sits up and says, "Then we can make her something."

"It's too late for that."

Lucy gets out of bed and smiles at Susan, "No it's not, mother sent us to bed early. We should have plenty of time." Lucy turns on the light and then runs to the desk in the room.

Susan sits up on the bed and looks to her sister, "Lucy, what are you doing?"

"I'm looking for something to make for our mum." Lucy searches around the desk, desperately looking for something to help make a present. "Like a painting or a bracelet…" Lucy's face lights up as she picks up an unused journal. "Or a book full of pictures, drawings, and all sorts of things that mum would love,"

Susan slowly gets out of bed and goes to her sister, "Lucy, we can't finish a whole scrapbook in one night."

"We can start now."

"I don't know, Lucy, we're supposed to be in bed."

"Please, Susan, we can't sleep anyway and our mother will need something to make this Christmas special."

They both fall silent for a moment as Susan realizes Lucy is right. However, she also knows it is impossible for them to do this before tomorrow, especially since they don't have a lot of material. Then again, their mother has done a lot for them, and it would be nice for her to know how much they appreciate her. She sighs, then smiles as she says, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try." Lucy lights up even brighter than before, as Susan continues, "We should gather more materials."

Susan and Lucy gather up a few pens, a jar of glue, a pair of scissors, crayons and some old photographs. As Lucy puts everything on the desk and goes through the photographs, Susan sits down in the chair and opens the journal to begin writing. Lucy hands Susan a family portrait that was taken a year after Lucy was born, "Let's put this picture in first, it's absolutely wonderful."

* * *

Nearly an hour passes as they continue to fill the journal with different photographs, draings, and writings that will make their mother smile. As Susan puts in another portrait she says, "Ok, Lucy, I think you should draw a few more pictures after this glue dries. Then after that, I think I'll write another poem."

"What should I draw?" Lucy asks as someone knocks on their door startling them both.

Susan cautiously walks to the door asking, "Who is it?"

"It's Peter, can I come in?" Susan opens the door allowing Peter to walk in. "What are you girls doing up?"

"We're making a scrapbook for mum," Lucy cheerfully replies.

Peter walks over to the desk to look at the book, "A scrapbook? How long have you been working on this?"

Susan explains to Peter, "For almost an hour now, we couldn't sleep and we wanted to show mum how much we appreciate everything she's done for us this Christmas."

Lucy asks him with a smile, "Do you want to help us?"

Peter smiles and nods, "I would love to, Lucy. I have some photographs that you can put in it. I'll be right back." Peter leaves their room, gaining an enthusiasm equal to that of his sisters.

Susan and Lucy smile at each other as Lucy begins to draw a forest in the winter time. Susan marvels at her drawing, "Lucy, that's so beautiful, what forest are you drawing?"

Lucy looks to the ceiling for a moment, thinking about it, then looks to Susan, "You know what? I don't really know, I just thought it looked nice. Wouldn't it be amazing to spend Christmas in a place like this?"

Susan looks at the drawing again and smiles, "Perhaps we will one day".

Lucy returns to drawing her winter landscape as she tells Susan, "I'm glad Peter is helping us, we'll get it done so much faster now."

Susan agrees as she watches Lucy draw, "I'm glad Peter is in a better mood after what happened earlier." Susan leans on the desk thinking about the fight Peter and Edmund had. It wasn't like any fight they ever had before and she can't help, but wonder if their relationship will ever be the same again.

* * *

In the room he shares with his brother, Edmund is lying in bed angrily pondering his fight with Peter wondering when his brother became so bossy. After all, it isn't Edmund's fault that Lucy doesn't know when to grow up and stop believing in fairy tales. Peter and Susan would make fun of him if he said such nonsense so why should Lucy be allowed to? It isn't like she's that much younger than him.

Suddenly he hears the door creak open and quickly shuts his eyes pretending to be asleep to avoid any conversations with his brother. He notices the room getting a little bright and opens his eyes to see Peter rummaging through the desk. "What are you doing?"

Peter pauses and looks over to Edmund. "I'm helping Susan and Lucy make a scrapbook for mum."

"What scrapbook?"

"Sue said they were making it to show mum how much they appreciate her and asked if I would like to help," Peter picks up some pictures from the desk drawer.

Edmund rolls his eyes in response and turns to face the wall wondering why Susan and Lucy would ask Peter and not him to help. She's his mother, too, and he might want to help make a present for her. The bullies at school were nicer to him.

Peter looks at the pictures while walking to the door then looks back at Edmund, "I'm sure they'd like it if you helped, too."

Edmund quickly turns his head in surprise, "Really?"

Peter smiles, "Come on." Peter might not like Edmund's new attitude, but he doesn't hate his little brother.

* * *

In their room, Susan finishes writing a poem about their mother's favorite flower while Lucy looks, "Oh that's so lovely. Can I write the next one?"

Susan smiles and hands the journal to Lucy, "Sure."

Lucy thinks for a moment about what to write when Peter walks in the room and, to the sisters' surprise, Edmund follows behind him. "Oh, Edmund, you're gonna help, too" Lucy asks excitedly then turns to Susan. "Now mum is really going to love this!" Peter and Susan laugh while Edmund sits on the girls' bed.

"Here are some photographs I'm sure mum will love," Peter says while handing Susan the pictures. She grins while looking through them as Lucy writes down a poem and passes the book back to Susan.

"Peter, do you want to put the next picture in?" Susan passes the book to him.

"I'd love to," Peter turns the page and chooses a picture.

Edmund watches as his three siblings add different things to the book. Part of him wants to join in, but another part of him is still mad and wants to go back to his room. After another moment he gets up and walks towards the door. Lucy sees him leaving, "Aren't you going to help, Edmund?" He stops and looks at them staring at him.

"Why should I, it's not gonna change anything," Edmund snaps at them.

Peter is about to say something when Susan speaks up first, "It probably won't, but mother has done a lot for us. This might not be the best Christmas, Ed, but this gift will make mum have a better one." She doesn't usually speak up like this, but she doesn't want Peter and Edmund to get in to another fight and kind of hopes that her kind little brother was still there.

They all stand there for a minute before Edmund sighs and walks over to the scrapbook and puts a picture in. He might be angry with them, but a part of him knows Susan is right and even though that part of him is quickly fading way, it isn't completely lost.

The others smile and all four of them finish the last pages of the book. Lucy grabs an old shoe box to put it in and Susan ties a hair ribbon around the box. They sneak to the family room where Lucy places the gift under the tree. They go to their rooms and finally manage to fall asleep.

* * *

"Susan! Susan wake up, it's Christmas!" Lucy exclaims while jumping on the bed.

Susan gets up and watches as Lucy runs out to wake their brothers. She walks out of the room and sees her mother standing there. It looks like she had cried herself to sleep, but manages to give her older daughter a smile, "Merry Christmas, Susan."

Susan smiles back, "Merry Christmas, Mum."

They hear Edmund yell, "I know it's Christmas, Lucy, you don't have to keep saying it!"

Peter walks out of his room smiling, "Merry Christmas!"

Lucy runs out of the boys' room and goes to their mother with a face full of excitement and gives her a big hug, "Merry Christmas, Mommy. Oh, you're going to love the gift we made you last night!"

Their mother, Helen, is a little confused, but gives her youngest a hug and notices Peter and Susan grinning at each other. "I'm sure I will, Sweetie."

Edmund joins them and they all run down to the family room. Lucy is the first one to reach the family room, followed by her siblings. Helen is the last one to reach the family room and watches the excitement of her children as they open their presents.

Peter looks over to their mother and grabs the old shoe box before walking over to Helen. He hands her the box while the others watch. "Here, mum, this is for you. Susan and Lucy thought it'd be nice for you to have a special gift."

Helen opens the box and looks at the scrapbook and sees smiles on her children's faces, even Edmund is smiling. A tear slips down her cheek as she flips through the pages, realizing that even though this Christmas isn't as great as the ones in the past, it will always be special thanks to her four wonderful children.

* * *

 **Thanks for read and merry Christmas** :)


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